The Revelation of God

1. The Revelation of God

2. Lesson 12

3. Lesson Text—John 1:1 John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

4. Lesson Text—John 1:14 John 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

5. Lesson Text—John 17:3 John 17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

6. Focus Verse—John 17:3 John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

7. Focus Thought With God initiating reconciliation and inviting human beings into relationship, we may now conduct theology—the study of God in order to better understand Him.

8. Culture Connection To Know God I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ The lesson today defines the word theology as “the study of God in order to better understand Him.” Many humans today are curious about God, but can they really know God? How can a mere mortal understand God? How can an individual know God? Is it really possible? Perhaps apostle Paul gave us the key in his epistle to the believers in Philippi.

9. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

10. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:10-14). It appears Paul recognized that understanding God involves an active pursuit of experiencing both the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

11. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ In order to relate to humankind and to redeem him, God manifested Himself in Jesus Christ. In other words, to provide for mankind a path of understanding and redemption, God was manifested in flesh. Consequently, both our redemption and ability to know God lie in experiencing genuine relationship with Jesus Christ, God manifested in flesh.

12. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ The only possible way to genuinely know God is through Jesus Christ. Only as we grow in relationship with Him is it possible to grow in our knowledge of God. Are you growing in your knowledge of God?

13. Contemplating the Topic I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ From the earliest days of human history, God sought to reveal Himself. The opening words of Scripture introduce not only the topic of Creation but also of revelation: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Although humans had not yet been created, all of the cosmos anticipated their arrival. All God made would serve a revelatory role.

14. Psalm 19:1-4 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).

15. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ Scripture consistently recognizes the divine disclosure through Creation. The moon is a “faithful witness in heaven” (Psalm 89:37). In connection with a discussion of Creation, Paul explained to the superstitious people of Lystra that rain and “fruitful seasons” are witnesses of God (Acts 14:17).

16. Although he did not use the word “witness” in his encounter with the Athenians (Acts 17), Paul nevertheless described Creation as revelatory of God: “God . . . made the world and all things therein . . . he is Lord of heaven and earth . . . he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth . . . for in him we live, and move, and have our being . . . For we are also his offspring” (Acts 17:24-28). I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

17. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ To explain the wrath of God against unrighteous men, Paul appealed to the witness of Creation, sometimes referred to as “general revelation.”

18. Romans 1:19-20 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).

19. We may at first think that whatever could be known of God from Creation’s revelation of Him is so vague and generic it would be incapable of providing any genuine knowledge of God. But in relation to God’s revelation in Creation, Paul continued the discourse. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

20. Romans 1:21-23 “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23).

21. Thus Creation reveals there is a powerful, eternal God who should be glorified and to whom we should give thanks. Although Creation does not reveal the name of God, those who respond to what is revealed about Him can be said to have some level of knowledge of God (Romans 1:21). This knowledge, however limited it may be in comparison to the full revelation found in Jesus Christ, demands response. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

22. Failure to respond with worship and thanksgiving leads inevitably to spiritual darkness. (See Romans 1:24-32.) When Jesus prayed for His disciples, He connected eternal life with knowing God: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Those who have eternal life know the only true God. This is no vague idea of a “higher power” or of a “first cause.” I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

23. The identification of the only true God as the sender of Jesus Christ precludes any notion that all who worship are worshiping the true God. They who worship but reject Jesus as the Messiah indicate by their rejection of Him that they worship someone or something other than the true God. Those who know the true God know the Messiah whom He sent. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

24. The same author who was inspired to record the words of Jesus’ prayer put it this way elsewhere: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (I John 2:22-23). The use of italics by the KJV translators in the second half of I John 2:23 is unfortunate. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

25. Typically, the KJV uses italics to indicate words that are not found in the Textus Receptus from which the KJV was translated. The Textus Receptus (Received Text) is the Greek text of the New Testament in common use in the seventeenth century. It does not, however, always represent the earliest readings. In the case of I John 2:23, the words “he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” are found in Greek manuscripts as early as the fourth century and in translations as early as the third century. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

26. In another of His prayers, Jesus put it this way: “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

27. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ The self-revelation of God in Christ was not just for the sake of information or to satisfy human curiosity. Christ’s redemptive mission means there is an unbreakable link between revelation and reconciliation: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (II Corinthians 5:19). God’s invitation to know Him and to be reconciled to Him in Christ is an invitation to theology—to study Him in order to better know Him.

28. Searching the Scriptures God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ Although the Bible consists of sixty-six books, it is in reality one book. Since this is so, we should pay close attention to its opening words: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). These words form the introduction to the entire Bible. Someone said, “The rest of the Bible is commentary on Genesis 1:1.”

29. When the phrase “in the beginning” appears elsewhere in Scripture in the context of Creation, it connects thematically with those first words, underscoring and offering additional insight. Notice the introductory passage in John 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3). I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

30. Twice in the first two verses of the Gospel of John the phrase “in the beginning” appears. Certainly, nothing here contradicts Genesis 1:1, but John included “bonus” information when he identified the Word (logos) as the one God who created all things. The phrase appears again in Hebrews 1:10: “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.” I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

31. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ These words were addressed to the Son. (See Hebrews 1:5-9.) In the process of demonstrating the superiority of the Son over angels, the inspired writer of Hebrews, quoting from Psalm 102, identified the Son as the Lord, the Creator. “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands” (Psalm 102:25).

32. The difference in wording between the words in Psalms and in Hebrews is due to the fact that the writer of Hebrews quoted from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in common use in the first century. Since the writer of Hebrews and the writer of Psalm 102 were inspired equally by God, we know the translation offered in the Septuagint captures the meaning of the psalm. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

33. It is important to note that although the word Lord does not appear in the Hebrew text of Psalm 102:25, the words of this psalm were addressed to Yahweh (sometimes transliterated as “Jehovah”), as seen in Psalm 102:1. In other words, it was Yahweh who created the heavens and the earth. Thus, when the Book of Hebrews says these words were addressed to the Son, the Son is identified as Yahweh, the Creator. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

34. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ Many translations of the Bible, including the KJV, use capital letters when translating the word “Yahweh” in the Old Testament: Lord. Some, like the New King James Version (NKJV), use this same convention in the New Testament when quoting from the Old Testament. Thus, the NKJV translates Hebrews 1:10 as follows: “And: ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.’”

35. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ What we have seen so far can be summarized: (1) God created the heavens and the earth; (2) the Word who created all things is God; (3) Yahweh is the God who created the heavens and the earth.

36. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). Many are the opinions of those who would explain how the Word could be with God and at the same time be God. Opinions also vary as to the historic background of logos as used by John.

37. Theologians at one time were virtually united on the notion that the background of John’s use of logos was Hellenistic Judaism, or Jewish thought as influenced by Greek philosophy. That idea has now been almost completely abandoned in favor of the idea that John’s use of logos reflected an Old Testament influence. Even here, paths diverge. It is quite common among Trinitarian theologians to connect the logos with wisdom as the preincarnate Christ. (See Proverbs 8.) I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

38. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ The problems that arise with this view include the feminine imagery associated with the personification of wisdom and the fact that wisdom is created. Biblically, it is much more satisfying to see John’s “Word” as reflecting the Word of God in the Hebrew Scriptures and even in the Aramaic Targums. (See more on Targums on pages 86-87.)

39. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ First, note how the Old Testament connects the word of the Lord with Creation: “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6). There is no indication here that the word (dabar) of the Lord is a person distinct from the Lord. Instead, the word of the Lord is the Lord Himself, speaking, creating.

40. The word of the Lord is, in other words, the Lord in action. James D. G. Dunn puts it this way: “Both Psalmist, prophet, and teacher of Wisdom are thinking of the word of Yahweh as Yahweh himself acting, acting decisively in creation. . . .” (Christology in the Making, 2nd ed. [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003], 218). Even the voice of the Lord is personified as the Lord Himself: “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

41. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 29:3-5). The personification of the voice of the Lord as the Lord Himself appears early in Scripture: “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

42. With this Hebrew background, it is no surprise that John would identify the Word as God. But the identification of the Word with God in the Aramaic Targums further cements the idea that John’s use of logos reflects an Old Testament background rather than the influence of Greek philosophy. The Targums (or Targumim) were Aramaic paraphrases of Hebrew Scripture in common use in Israel in the first century. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

43. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ Few Jews in that place and time spoke Hebrew, and most used Aramaic as their common conversational language. The influence of the Targums can be seen in the New Testament in a variety of references to the Old Testament. (See Bruce Chilton, “Four Types of Comparison between the Targumim and the New Testament” [Journal for the Aramaic Bible 2] [2000] 163-188.)

44. In the Targums, the Aramaic word memra, which means “word” and is related to the Hebrew amar (to say), is used as a personification of God. In Genesis 1:16-17, one Targum reads, “The Word of the Lord created the two large luminaries.” Genesis 2:2 reads, “On the seventh day the Word of the Lord completed the work which he had created” (Bruce M. Metzger, “Important Early Translations of the Bible,” Bibliotheca Sacra 150 [January-March 1993]: 41). I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

45. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ The influence of the Targums can “be seen in the phraseology and thought of New Testament writers” (Allen Wikgren, “The Targums and the New Testament,” The Journal of Religion 24/2 [April 1944]: 89). This includes “circumlocutions common in the Targums for the divine name, such as ‘the right hand of majesty’ . . . and ‘the right hand of power’” (R. Harris, ibid., n. 4).

46. We know that the writers of the New Testament were inspired by the Holy Spirit in their use of the Old Testament, whether they quoted from or paraphrased the Hebrew text, the Septuagint, or the Targums. This means that in their use of the Old Testament they captured accurately the meaning the Holy Spirit wanted the readers to receive. The Hebrew text, the Septuagint, and the Targums are consistent in using the word word as a personification for God Himself. I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

47. In fact, in Psalm 33:6 the Septuagint uses logos, as does John in John 1:1, to describe creation. Just as any person’s word is with that person, and just as it is identified with that individual, so is the Word of God. Even in a North American context far removed from the ancient Middle East, we still say, “He’s as good as his word.” A person’s word is an expression of the person. A person and his word are so closely identified, as seen in the examples from the Old Testament, that John could say, “The Word was God.” I. God Accomplished His Self-Revelation in Christ

48. Humanity May Know and Experience God II. Humanity May Know and Experience God There is no better interpreter of Scripture than Scripture. John wrote not only a Gospel, but also three letters, the first of which takes up the same themes in its opening words as are taken up in the opening words of his Gospel.

49. I John 1:1-2 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;”

50. I John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (I John 1:1-3).